Kerry: No military solution to South China Sea dispute

US Secretary of State John Kerry says there is “no military solution” to the dispute over the South China Sea, calling on China and the Philippines to comply with an international tribunal's decision.

A Hague-based court of arbitration ruled in July that China’s claims to sovereignty over the disputed areas or the resources there “had no legal basis.”

China, however, dismissed the ruling, insisting that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the issue.

On Tuesday, Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay once again warned China about its refusal to accept the ruling, asking Beijing to recognize it or it would be a “loser.”

"The United States continues to call on China and the Philippines to abide by the tribunal's recent decision which is final and legally binding on both parties," Kerry told a gathering of students in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He made the remarks ahead of a G20 summit in China on Sunday and Monday that could be overshadowed by discussions on a range of issues from territorial disputes to protectionism by China, diplomats say.

The US is “interested in not fanning the flames of conflict but rather trying to encourage the parties to resolve their disputes and claims through the legal process and through diplomacy," Kerry said.

SS